Aug 9, 2015

Sugar Hill way up in Harlem is a neighborhood with a rich history, culture and affordable homes.

Beginning in the 1870s Harlem was the site of a massive wave of development which resulted in the construction of numerous new single-family row-houses and apartment houses. Many of these apartments, typically floor-throughs and duplexes come with town house amenities, like terraces, gardens, fireplaces, and uncommonly good light for Manhattan. During the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920saffluent African-Americans began moving toSugar Hill."Sweet and Expensive," signifying that one had arrived, economically and socially. Sugar Hill was celebrated for its exclusivity and status. The Hill attracted those with talent, money, education, and social prominence.

The song “Take the ‘A’ Train,” written by Billy Strayhorn was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra commemorating the upscale neighborhood where they lived.Originally written in 1939 directions to get to his house by subway. The directions began: "Take the A Train" There was a new subway line and people were getting confused about the best way to get to Harlem.

Sugar Hill historic district is from 145th Street to 155th Street and between Edgecombe and Amsterdam. According to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the rocky plateau that later became known as Sugar Hill was the setting for grand estates in the late 1700s and 1800s.

Sugar Hill, often considered part of Hamilton Heights, is almost entirely residential. It has rows of four- and five-story townhouses and handsome prewar apartment buildings. Many are coops and affordable HDFC coops attracting a diversified mix of buyers.

Dec 7, 2012

Hamilton Heights is located between 135th and 155th Street. Hamilton Heights in Upper Manhattan was the home of Alexander Hamilton from 1802 - 1804. Today Hamilton Heights is mostly a housing fusion of palatial 19th century brownstones, spacious pre-wars and tenement walk-ups.

The Harlem sub-neighborhood of Hamilton Heights boasts some of the
city’s most-desired townhouses, and is best known for Sugar Hill and Strivers’ Rowboth NYC landmark designated. The Harlem sub-neighborhood of Hamilton Heights has
some of the most-desired townhouses in New York City.

Sugar Hill - Sweet and Expensive," During the Harlem Renisance of the 1920's The Hill attracted those
with talent, money, education, and social prominence. Sugar Hill
was celebrated for its exclusivity and status.

Parts of Strivers’
Row were designed by the noted architecture firm of McKim, Mead and
White. Strivers Row below Sugar Hill named by Harlemites for it's ambitious residents.Strivers' Row houses are among the few private homes in Manhattan with space for parking. Many of the townhouses
have lovely staircases, fireplaces, pocket doors, and moldings. Even in
the surrounding area, the conjunction of great subway access (the train
stops at 135th and 145th streets) and beautiful row houses makes
Hamilton Heights a lovely place to buy a home.

Zoning does not allow for very large
buildings. Many apartments in Hamilton Heights are floor-throughs that come
with town house amenities, like terraces, gardens, fireplaces, and
uncommonly good light for Manhattan.

A
diversified mix of Buyers are coming to Hamilton Heights for the
neighborhood’s history, culture, houses, brownstones, new condos and HDFC coops that
cost much less than they would a mile to the south.

I have a new exclusive listing at 517 West 144th Street Apt. 8, A mint renovated 3 bedroom 1 bath HDFC coop for $349,000. First Open House Sunday December 9th from 12 noon to 1:00 PM.

"Hurray take the "A" train or the 1, B, C, and D trains to go to Hamilton Heights, way up in Harlem" for the history, culture and affordable housing. Hope to see you up in Harlem.

Reveille with Beverly -- (Movie Clip) Take the A Train

Ann Miller (as "Beverly") spins this performance of "Take the A Train" from Reveille with Beverly, 1943, by the famed Duke Ellington's Orchestra, with Ivie Johnson's vocal.

Hamilton Grange - the only home ever owned by Alexander Hamilton - has moved to St. Nicholas Park. Alexander Hamilton was the first U. S. Secretary of the Treasury, a Founding Father, and political philosopher. He co-authored the federalist papers and was indespensable in the effort to get the constitution adopted.

Alexander Hamilton came to New York in 1772 at age 17 to study finance at King's College (now Columbia University). Hamilton commissioned architect John McComb Jr. to design a Federal style country home on a sprawling 32 acre estate in upper Manhattan. This house was completed in 1802 and named "The Grange" after the Hamilton family's ancestral home in Scotland, but served as his home for only two years. On July 11, 1804, Hamilton was killed in a duel with his political rival Aaron Burr during their campaign for Governor of New York.

On May 27, 2008, Wolfe House & Building Movers began the delicate task of sliding the 298-ton Hamilton Grange National Memorial over the front porch of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on a railing system nearly 40 feet in the air. The process, which actually took several hours, was accomplished with the aid of the lo-tech and high-tech methods. Chains, clamps and towers of wooden supports kept the Grange stable. Hydraulic jacks pushed it incrementally along the steel I-beams. After each push, the jacks had to be moved forward to the next one, until the building finally reached the end of the rails and descended to street level.

Photo by NPS May 2008

In its new Saint Nicholas Park location, it will be possible to appreciate fully the beauty of the home that Hamilton helped design and which he called his "sweet project."

Hamilton Grange, fully restored and furnished will be rededicated in the morning and re-open to the public with an afternoon celebration from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 17. Re-enactors will portray Alexander Hamilton and the ordinary New Yorkers who were his contemporaries. There will be music, games and crafts, and other family-friendly activities throughout the afternoon. The celebration continues Sunday with a lecture series from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

May 29, 2009

Uptown West, from West 135th Street to West 155th Street, from Riverside Drive to St. Nicholas and Edgecombe Avenues.

Hamilton Grange

The Harlem sub-neighborhood of Hamilton Heights boasts some of the city’s most desired townhouses, and is best known for “Strivers’ Row.” Parts of Strivers’ Row were designed by the noted architecture firm of McKim, Mead and White, and in addition to the gardens in back, many of the townhouses have lovely staircases, fireplaces, pocket doors, and moldings. Hamilton Heights in Upper Manhattan was the home of Alexander Hamilton from 1802 - 1804. Alexander Hamilton was the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, a Founding Father, and political philosopher.

His Manhattan home Hamilton Grange has recently been moved from Convent Avenue to St. Nicholas Park.

Developers have converted brownstone, shells of buildings and narrow vacant lots into condominium apartments. For Manhattan home buyers, Hamilton Heights provides an opportunity to live in a neighborhood with small-scale buildings.

Zoning does not allow for very large buildings. These apartments, typically floor-throughs and duplexes come with town house amenities, like terraces, gardens, fireplaces, and uncommonly good light for Manhattan.

A diversified mix of Buyers are coming to Hamilton Heights for the neighborhood’s history, the houses, brownstones and new condos that cost much less than they would a mile to the south.

Currently there are approximately 125 active listings in Hamilton Heights. Prices range from a $175,000 for an HDFC (income cap retrictions) 1 bedroom coop to a $4,295,000 for a 4,400 square foot single family townhouse. * updated 5/7/2016

Harlem was established in 1658 by the Dutch and named Nieuw Harlem after the Dutch city of Harlem. This large section of Manhattan real estate has a deep spirit, culture and history.

Harlem passed through several historic periods - as a high-society area of New York for wealthy upper class and middle class white residents...as a fashionable district for blacks during a period known as the "Harlem Renaissance"...as one of the hottest night club playgrounds for audiences who came uptown to see the all black revues to gangsters and entertainers in grand style at the famous night spots.

Beginning in the 1870s Harlem was the site of a massive wave of development which resulted in the construction of numerous new single-family row-houses, tenements, and luxury apartment houses, New York's black middle class began moving to Harlem.

During the "Harlem Renaissance" of the 1920s, Harlem became the urban cultural center of black America, with its center around 135th Street between Lenox and Seventh Avenues.

Affluent African-Americans began moving to "Sugar Hill" in the late 1920s. "Sweet and Expensive," signifying that one had arrived, economically and socially Sugar Hill was celebrated for its exclusivity and status. The Hill attracted those with talent, money, education, and social prominence.

East Harlem/El Barrio (Spanish Harlem) community stretches from First Avenue to Fifth Avenue and from East 96th Street to East 125th Street.

Central Harlem stretches from Central Park North to the Harlem River and from Fifth Avenue to St. Nicholas Avenue.

West Harlem, including Hamilton Heights and Sugar Hill, stretches from 123rd to 155th Streets and from St. Nicholas Avenue to the Hudson River

For the last few years there has been another wave of development and construction in Harlem. New condo development has surged in Harlem like the rest of Manhattan and there appears to be enough demand by buyers to meet supply.

111 Central Park North

A luxury glass condo at 111 Central Park North currently has 2 available 3 bedroom apartments for sale for $2,399,000 and $2,690,000. (Oct 1, 2011)

It appears Central Park North is getting numbers equivalent to prices on Central Park West, Central Park South and Upper 5th Avenue. Harlem condos typically sell for $550 to $800 per-square-foot. Townhouses run $350 to $500 a square foot if it requires no renovation. If it's a shell, and one can still be found it's about $250 to $300 a square foot.

A diversified mix of New Buyers think Harlem is an exciting place to live because it is still on the island and they are priced out of downtown. They are coming to Harlem for the neighborhood's history and the immaculate houses on Strivers Row and new condos all over Harlem. The fixer-upper brownstones that were a steal have been gone for a couple of years now. Most Townhouse owners have cashed out already. Many have been renovated and many sellers have priced them too high.

Developers have converted brownstone, shells of buildings and narrow vacant lots into condominium apartments. For Manhattan home buyers, this new wave of condo conversion in Harlem provides an opportunity to live in a neighborhood with small-scale buildings. Harlem zoning does not allow for very large buildings. These apartments, typically floor-throughs and duplexes come with town house amenities, like terraces, gardens, fireplaces, and uncommonly good light for Manhattan.

There are new condo townhouses from Morningside to amilton Heights. Many of the new construction condos are on Frederick Douglas Boulevard.

New larger buildings with doormen and other amenities have gone up on Harlem's Avenues. Many of the new developments are along Frederick Douglas Boulevard.

88 Morningside Avenue

88 Morningside Avenue, Harlem, Morningside Heights is a new construction condo set among tree lined streets and pre-war buildings directly opposite Morningside Park. Current available apartments at 88 Morningside range from a 625 square foot one bedroom to a 1300 square foot Three bedroom 2 bath home for just under $900,000. (Oct 1, 2011)

The Dwyer Condos - Warehouse Loftsat 123rd Street

The Dwyer condos at 123rd and St. Nicholas are more like downtown loft buildings.

Harlem is a location with history, spirit, culture and affordability.

Harlem may be the neighborhood you are looking for.

All the new construction in Harlem it hasn't lost its old historic flavor. There are still many prewar buildings and beautiful 19th century townhouses featuring fireplaces and molding and lovely backyards.

Harlem is home to Columbia University and the world renowned Apollo Theater where such greats as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Aretha Franklin performed. One of the area's most notable attractions is the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. This awesome Episcopal cathedral, on 112th Street near Columbia University, is exceptional in its melding of Gothic, Byzantine and Romanesque architecture. More and more businesses are flocking in to meet the needs of this resurrected neighborhood.

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